In the first six months of life, children adapt to the outside world. All organs and systems begin to grow rapidly. One of these systems is the gastrointestinal tract. It undergoes a number of changes, due to which the baby may have abdominal pain or colic. Intestinal colic is paroxysmal pain in the abdominal cavity.
The causes of intestinal colic
- Diet disorders in a nursing mother. Colic in a baby occurs if the mother ate cabbage or other vegetables, abuses flour products and coffee.
- Overfeeding.
- Violation of feeding technique.
Hold the baby upright after feeding. The baby will vomit up excess air that he swallowed during sucking.
- Unsuitable mixture. The baby's intestines cannot process some of the components of the formula, so it needs to be changed.
You also need to choose the right nipple for a bottle. The AVENT company produces nipples with bottles that specifically remove excess air.
- The baby's digestive system during the first month of life is not yet adapted to the environment. It begins to be colonized by many bacteria that are beneficial for digestion. The motility of the large and small intestines is not yet fully formed. Therefore, colic in newborns is an integral part of their life.
- Spasms of the smooth muscles of the intestine.
- There is a stereotype that colic is more common in boys. This is not true. Colic in girls, as well as in boys, occurs with the same frequency and does not depend on the nation and the nature of feeding.
Intestinal colic in newborns begins at 1 week of age and disappears by 4 months. In premature newborns, colic comes 1 to 2 weeks later.
Intestinal colic occurs in 70% of children, so it is a mistake to assume that everyone has them.
How to understand that a child has colic?
All children behave differently - they clench their fists, close their eyes tightly. But the main symptom is strong crying, pulling the legs up to the stomach.
The child begins to behave restlessly after eating. Troubled by tight stools or even constipation. Bloating. These signs will help to understand that this is intestinal colic in a newborn.
Colic in most cases torments children in the evenings. This is due to fluctuations in hormones in human milk and an increase in its fat content in the evening.
How to help a child with colic?
Gas and colic in newborns can be relieved certain activities.
- Give your baby some dill water.
- Lay the baby on the stomach more often. This will help the bowel function properly. It is best to do this 30 minutes before feeding.
- Infant colic can be relieved by placing a warm towel or heating pad with warm water on its stomach.
- Tummy massage for a newborn. With a warm hand, lightly stroke clockwise, preferably before and after the next meal.
- Every mother should understand how to breastfeed correctly. Indeed, with incomplete closing of the baby's lips around the areola, the child swallows excess air, which leads to the accumulation of gases.
- Colic symptoms in infants can be reduced by walking in the fresh air or by motion sickness.
- Gas outlet tube. Lay the child on the side, pressing the legs to the stomach. Be sure to grease the tip of the tube with baby cream and gently insert it into the anus.
If gas accumulates in the intestines, this method will not help, unless the gas has accumulated at the base of the anus.
- Medicines to help with colic.
The symptoms of gas formation can be relieved the following groups of drugs:
- reducing the level of gas formation (Espumisan baby, Bobotic, Sub Simplex);
- means that remove gases from the intestines (activated carbon, Smecta);
- restoring intestinal microflora (Linex, Bifiform).
Overview of drugs for intestinal colic
Espumisan
Simethicone solution. Given before or after breastfeeding.
When artificially fed, it is added to the bottle. Dosage for children under one year old - 25 drops (per day). Shake well before use.
Bobotik - simethicone emulsion
It is a suspension with a rather pleasant taste. Reduces the surface tension of gas bubbles. It is taken according to the instructions in an age-specific dosage. The drops can be diluted with water. After the symptoms disappear, the medicine is canceled.
Plantex - a magic remedy for colic
The basis of the medicine is fennel. Its action is similar to dill. The contents of the sachet are dissolved in 100 ml of water. You can give it to your baby from the first days of life.
When does colic go away in newborns? Infant colic is not a disease. Their best healers are time, patience and the above tips, thanks to which it will be easier for the child to endure this condition.
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